Liquid-containing top



G. NATHAN July 16, I968 LIQUID-CONTAINING TOP Filed May 27, 1965 INVENTOR 6520 NA THAN ATTORNEY 3,392,482 Patented July 16, 1968 United States Patent Office 3,392,482 LIQUID-CONTAINING TOP Gerd Nathan, Springfield, Vat, assignor to Nathan Industries, Inc., Springfield, Va;, a corporation of Virginia Filed May 27, 1965, Ser. No. 459,350

, Claims. (Cl. 46-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE thereof.

This invention relates to a spinning top and, more particularly, to means forstabilizing and asthetically improving the appearance of a spinning top.

This invention, in one form, provides a transparent top having a cylindrical base and a circular flange fixedly attached on its lower surface to one end of the base. The base has a cylindrical recess extending axially from the point of attachment to the flange partially through the length of the base. The flange is formed with a cavity therein having a circular cross section coaxial with the base. A hole is provided through the lower surface of the flange to effect communication between the cavity and bore. A liquid inlet port extends through the upper surface of the flange to permit supplying a colored liquid into the interior of the top. I

After the recess is partially filled with the colored liquid a stopper is fitted in the inlet port. The top is caused to spin on the exposed end of the base about an axis coaxial with the axis of the base. The colored liquid will ride up along the walls of the recess and flow through the hole in the flanges lower surface'to the outer periphery of the cavity. The increased mass on the periphery of the flange improves the stability of the top while the colored liquid viewed through the transparent top provides interesting views and, thus, improves the asthetic appearance of the top and servesas an educational toy.

It is one object of this invention to improve the stability of a spinning top.

It is another object of this invention to asthetically improve the appearance ofa spinning top and concurrently improve the stability of the top.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an educational toy.

Other objects and attendant advantages will become apparent from the following specification and drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a top formed in accordance with this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View of the top of FIG- URE 1 illustrating one embodiment of this invention when the top is spinning,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a top illustrating a second embodiment of this invention,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a top illustrating a third embodiment of this invention, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a top illustrating a fourth embodiment of this invention.

With reference to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a top of the type known as a whipping top. The top 10 is formed of a main body having an elongated cylindrical base 12, a circular flange 14, and a pivot apex 15. The top 10 is operated by spinning it on the apex by any means such as by hand or by winding a cord or other flexiblecord-like member around the base 12 and rapidly spinning the top 10 in the usual manner. After the top commences spinning, whipping the base 12 with the leash or cord 16 of a whip 18 will cause the top 10 to continue spinning.

The cylindrical base 12 is provided with a bore or cylindrical recess 20 extending from one end 22 thereof to a point spaced from the other end 24 thereof. The recess 20 is coaxial with the cylindrical base 12. The apex 15 is fixedly mounted on the exterior of the end 24. The apex 15 can be made of any conventional long-wearing tip such as steel, and is located on the axis 25 of the top 10.

The flange 14 is formed with an upper wall 26, a lower wall 28 spaced from and parallel to the upper wall 26, and an annular side wall 30 interconnecting the upper and lower walls and defining a circular cavity 32 therewithin. The cavity 32 has a substantial dimension or diameter in a plane normal to the axis 25. A hole 34 having a diameter equal to the diameter of the recess 20 is provided centrally through the lower wall 28. i

The base 12 and flange 14 are fabricated from a transparent material having suflicient strength to withstand the treatment such toys experience. Examples of suitable materials are styrene plastic, cellulose plastics, cellulose acetate plastics, polyethylene, and acrylic resin plastics. The flange 14 is fixedly mounted on the base 12 by any suitable means such as by solvent welding or it can be fabricated integrally therewith, for example, in an ejection molding machine.

A liquid inlet 36 is provided through the upper wall 26 through which a liquid 38 is supplied to the interior of the top 10. It is intended that a colored liquid be employed since it will be observable through the transparent top 10. A resilient stopper 40 is provided to obturate the inlet 36 after the desired amount of liquid 38 is fed into the top 10. If desired, the stopper 40 can be attached to the upper surface 26 of the flange 14 by any fastening means such as a rivet (not shown) in order to prevent loss of the stopper, or it can be independent and removable from the flange, as shown in FIGURE 2.

In order to facilitate the water residing in the recess 12, when the top is stationary and being filled, a slight taper or slope leading toward the hole 34 is provided on the inner surface 42 of the lower wall 28.

When the liquid 38 has been added to the interior of the top 10 and the top is spun, centrifugal force causes a large portion of the liquid to move toward and rise up the inner surface of the base 12, flow through the hole 34, and move to the outer periphery of the cavity 32, as is shown in FIGURE 2. The liquid at the outer periphery increases the mass at the outer side wall 30 of the flange 14, thus improving the stability of the top 10 and providing an interesting and colorful interior for the top.

A second embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIGURE 3, provides further interest to the user and serves as an educational toy. A plurality of immiscible, diflerently colored liquids, only two of which are shown at 44, 46, are supplied to the interior of the hollow, transparent top 10. One example of such compatible, immiscible liquids is water which can be colored by vegetable coloring and oil base paints. Not only are-the liquids immiscible and of different colors but they also have different densities. Therefore, when the top 10 is stationary, the heavier liquid 44 settles on the bottom of the recess 20 while the lighter liquid 46 floats on the heavier liquid 44. When the top 10 is rapidly spinning, the heavier liquid 44 assumes a position adjacent the inner surface 47 of the side walls 30 of the flange 14 and the recess 20' while the lighter liquid 46 is displaced from the side walls only by the heavier liquid 44. This teaches the effect of centrifugal force and the part mass plays in addition to providing an interesting multicolor pattern in the top 10.

A third embodiment is illustrated in FIGURE 4 and comprises providing a plurality of small, substantially solid objects such as little balls 48 in addition to one or more liquids 50 to the interior of the top 10. The density of the balls 48 can be varied such that some or all are lighter than the liquid 50 and thus float when the top is stationary. When the top is spinning, the balls 48 tend to move toward the inner surface 47 of the side wall 30 and recess 20 and are displaced therefrom by the heavier liquid 50. Alternatively, some or all of the balls 48 can be sufficiently dense so as to sink when the top is stationary and contact the inner surface 47 of the side wall 30 and recess 20 when the top is spinning.

FIGURE 4 also illustrates another method of fabricating the top 10. As illustrated, the upper wall 26 and annular side wall 30 are fabricated as an integral unit as are the base 12 and lower wall 28. These two units are then joined by any conventional method, such as solvent Welding. This division of the flange 14 into two parts simplifies manufacturing of the top 10 since it provides an ideal molded design Which permits easy withdrawal of the cores needed to form the cavity 32 and recess 20.

Another embodiment, illustrated in FIGURE 5, resides in the provision of a substantially solid member 52 of any shape which slowly dispenses a color to a liquid 54 within which it is submerged. The dispensing can be elfected either by dissolving the member 52 or by dispensing a liquid or powder with which the member 52 is impregnated. With either of these two methods of dispensing a color, the user need only supply a clear liquid to the interior of the top 10. A dissolvable member can be fabricated from a harmless water-soluble material, such as colored sugars or colored salts. A member 52 which dispenses a liquid or powder can be formed as a porous member such as of a foamed plastic like open cell urethane foam. The porous member 52 is impregnated either during the foaming process or subsequent thereto with a colored substance, for example, liquids like water and propylene glycol, or powders like sugars and salts or water-soluble polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A preferred form of this embodiment is to employ water soluble gelatin capsules which contain either a colored liquid or solid. The capsules are placed inside the top 10 through the inlet 36 and dissolve when in contact with water similarly supplied through the inlet.

It can be seen that the top of this invention increases the stability of spinning tops, improves the appearance, and provides an educational toy. It is obvious that the various embodiments discussed independently above can be combined in many ways to provide desired combined effects. All of these individual and combined embodiments form part of this invention.

I claim:

1. A spinning top comprising a base being cylindrical throughout at least a major portion of its length and having a bearing surface at one end thereof, said bearing with said recess and ofcircular crosssection, .said.

lower wall being intimately connected to said-other end of the base and having a hole extending therethrough to effect fluid fiow communication between said cavity andsaid recess, said hole having a diameter equal to the diameter of said recess at said other end,

(c) a liquid inlet of smaller diameter than said upper wall and extending therethrough said inlet being axially aligned with said bearing surface, said recess receiving and storing a liquid when said top is stationary, and

(d) obturation means for closing said inlet after "a liquid is supplied to said recess, rotation of said top effecting transfer of said liquid through said hole into said cavity and toward the outer periphery of the said cavity where said liquid augments stabilization of said top.

2. A top as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of immiscible liquids within said recess, said liquids having dilferent densities and colors with respect to each other such that rotation of the top effects transfer of a portion of each of said liquids toward the outer periphery of said cavity producing a stratification of said liquids in said cavity.

3. A top as defined in claim 1 including at least one liquid and a plurality of substantially solid objects located within said recess, rotation of said top effecting transfer of a portion of said liquid and said objects toward the outer periphery of said cavity producing a stratification of liquids and solids in said cavity.

4. A top as defined in claim 1 including means within said cavity for dispensing a color to said liquid.

5. A top as defined in claim 4 wherein said means is a liquid soluble capsule filled with a dye whereby contact of said capsule with said liquid effects dissolution of said capsule and intermixing of said liquid and said dye.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,394,093 -2/ 1946 Nalle 46-65. 2,464,994 3/1949 Roseen 46-67 1,535,065 4/1925 Tweedt et al. 2,058,692 10/ 1936 Humphrey. 2,464,994 3/ 1949 Roseen. 2,556,756 6/1951 Gray. 3,044,212 7/ 1962 Lancaster.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

